To Have and to Hold?
by Aleisha Potter
Summary: Oliver and Chloe Queen have a wonderful marriage of convenience, well, except for that one night...
1. Chapter 1

**To Have and To… **_**Hold?**_

Chloe Queen sat on the closed toilet, staring intently at the plastic stick she held. Sure enough, two blue lines mocked her as they had for the last fifteen minutes. She groaned as she tossed the offending item into the wastebasket beside her. What the hell was she going to do now? How was Oliver going to handle this news?

Chloe made her way out of bathroom and into the bedroom she shared with her husband. Oliver was due home any minute and she knew she needed to get it together or he would know something was up. She supposed that for most married couples, the fact that they were expecting a little bundle of joy would be a joyous discovery. She and Oliver however were _not_ your average couple. Their marriage was one of convenience, a strictly "in-name-only" kind of thing. So, aside from that one night of drunken stupidity, they were more like two associates who happened to live together.

Oliver's life was always lived in front of cameras but lately it had been getting much worse. Add that to the fact that he was America's Number One Bachelor and he couldn't leave his penthouse without an entourage of girls wanting to be the next Mrs. Queen. It was only a matter of time before someone stumbled upon his secret alter ego. Oliver's solution: get married and quick! The one person he trusted enough to go to with his idea: Watchtower, a.k.a. Chloe Sullivan.

So the couple of the year wed in front of friends, family, and half the country. Sure enough, once he was off the market, the paparazzi more or less left him alone. So long as he could stay away from scandal, there was little the press wanted to do with a quiet, family man.

In public they were the loving newlywed couple, but out of sight, they were just Chloe and Oliver, friends, co-workers, nothing more. Except for that one night.

She growled as she threw herself onto their large bed. One night, it was just one night!! They had both agreed to forget it, to be adults about it. That should have been that! Only, no, it could never be that easy for her. Now they had a baby mixed in with their convoluted lives! Oliver was going to kill her.

"Chloe! I'm home!" she heard her husband call out. She sighed and made her way out to confront him.

"Hey, Ollie. Good day at work?" she asked, trying to keep an air of normality.

"Same old, same old. Hurry up and get dressed, we're supposed to meet Lois and Clark tonight, remember?"

Chloe had actually forgotten that.

"Do I have to?" she whined.

Oliver looked up in surprise at her and noticed how pale she looked.

"Chlo, you okay? You're not looking so good."

"Honestly, Oliver, I'm not feeling all that great. Some bug, maybe? I don't know, I just really would rather not deal with Lois's 'enthusiasm' tonight," she told him, refusing to meet his eyes, sure he would find the truth in there somehow.

Oliver frowned in confusion.

"Okay, we don't have to go if you don't want. We could do a movie and take-out," he suggested.

"You really don't have to stay…" she started.

"And how would that look, huh? If I went out to a club while my wife was at home sick? We are trying to stay _away_ from scandal, not invite it, remember?"

Chloe sighed.

"You're right. I'm sorry. A movie and Chinese would be fine."

Oliver stared at his wife for a moment.

"Chloe, you really aren't acting like yourself. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Oliver, I'm fine. Now, are you going to go get the movie and the food or what?"

"Yeah, I'm on my way. Do you want to call Lois and Clark or do you want me to?"

"I'll call, it's my fault anyway."

"Alright, any movie in particular?"

"How about _Robin Hood, Men in Tights_?"

Oliver barked out a laugh.

"My favorite," he said, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"Seriously, I love that movie," she told him, hitting him on the shoulder.

"Alright, I'll get it," he told her, rolling his eyes.

"See ya when you get back," she called as she picked up her phone to call her cousin.

Oliver waved as he walked out the door. It only took two rings for Lois to pick up.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, Lo. It's Chloe. Listen, I'm not feeling all that great so I think Ollie and I are going to pass on drinks tonight."

"Not feeling good, huh? Yeah, sure, Chlo. I told you it wouldn't take that long for you two to…"

"Lois, please, not that again, okay. I'm just tired. I've been working a lot lately."

"_Is that what you two call it now?"_

"Lo, please, stop. I'll call you tomorrow. Enjoy your night," with that Chloe hung up before Lois could respond.

Chloe spent the rest of the time it took Oliver to pick up their movie and dinner changing into some comfy lounge clothes and getting up the nerve to tell her husband their "good" news… and praying she survived the night because she was more than certain of one thing… Oliver was not likely to take this news very well at all.

**A/N: Well, I know it's short, but I just wanted to get a little start out there. I have been trying and trying to get my other stories finished up, but my muse is screaming Chlollie at me ever since "Warrior". What can I say, I'm an addict. And since I have a feeling nothing more is going to happen until "Escape" (squeal at the thought of that episode!!) I had to write… I knew that I was never going to get anywhere with FO or Mudblood until I got this out of my system… The other parts will be longer, promise, just wanted to get this out before Church. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Just thought I should make a point of where this falls in regards to the current season. Everything up through "Warrior" is as it was. This takes place about 8 mo or so after Warrior. More will be explained throughout the story. Thanks so much for reading and the wonderful reviews. Thanks Katy for betaing.**

**_Beta Notes: I had to do a super quick job on this and Connie said that was fine so I want to take the blame for any mistakes I may have missed. (Though she really doesn't leave many for me to find!)_**

**Part Two**

Oliver whistled as he made his way back to his car, Chinese food in hand. He had picked up Chloe's favorite, General Tso's chicken, from a local take-out joint not far from their penthouse. He hoped it might make her feel better. If she wasn't looking better by tomorrow he was determined to drag her, kicking and screaming if he must, to Emil. It had been a long time since he had seen her looking so… _down. _She had been so pale when he had come home from his board meeting. He wouldn't have been surprised if she had passed out right there where she stood.

Come to think of it, Chloe hadn't been herself for a few days now. She hadn't had much of an appetite in the morning and had looked like shit warmed over by the time he would come home. She was in bed by eight every night but impossible to get up in the morning. Dark circles graced her eyes, which had taken on a dull look. All in all, he was starting to worry about his wife.

Yes, it was decided, if she was still acting off in the morning, their first stop was Doctor Hamilton.

Feeling much better now that he had a plan in mind, Oliver sped off towards home for a quiet evening with his wife. He paused mid thought. Wife… wow, he might never get used to that. They had been married for six months, but really their lives still seemed more or less the same. The first night had been awkward to say the least, but once they had sat down and discussed exactly where they stood, both as friends and as husband and wife, they were able to be adults about it. Yes, sharing a bed with someone on a completely platonic level was… _different_, but not in a bad way. Oliver had offered to buy a second bed but Chloe had been the one to point out that the penthouse hardly had room for another bed and that they would have a hard time explaining it to Lois, who really was their only friend who wasn't in on their little plot.

It wasn't that they didn't trust Lois, it was just that she… well, Chloe had been pretty sure that her cousin wouldn't support her decision to go through with this farce of a marriage. Add that to the fact that Clark still hadn't come out to Lois yet so the entire Justice League set-up was still hush-hush when it came to the intrepid reporter and it just made sense to keep it quiet around Ms. Lane.

Chloe had told Oliver that they were both adults and sleeping in the same bed really shouldn't be that big of a problem and she was right. Really, it was nice to wake up to her every morning, even if nothing had happened the night before. Though there had been that one night.

Oliver sighed as memories of their heated encounter flashed across his mind. He had been in a bad place that night. One of their missions had gone terribly wrong and they had nearly lost Victor that night. He had come back to Watchtower and lost it. Chloe had been the one to pick up the pieces, and his sorry ass, and drag him home. They had stayed up most of the night just talking… well, talking and drinking, never a good combination and what had started out as an innocent kiss to thank her for being there for him had turned into a passionate embrace. It all went downhill from there and they had awoken, hung over and naked, in their bed the next morning. It didn't take a genius to realize what had happened, but ever the professionals, they agreed to put it behind them and move on.

Oliver made it back to the penthouse and carried their dinner and a movie up to his wife. When he entered their home, he found Chloe fast asleep on the couch, still sitting up. He smiled and went to put their dinner in the refrigerator for later. He quietly walked over to the couch and slowly picked up the sleeping blonde. He carried her into their room and laid her down on the bed, covering her with a blanket and carefully moving her bangs off of her face.

"What am I going to do with you, huh?" he asked quietly.

"Hey, Robin Hood, you're the one that wanted to marry me, remember?" she mumbled sleepily.

Oliver laughed.

"What can I say, I always knew I was a smart man."

"Smart… right. Just keep telling yourself that Mr. Queen. Sorry about tonight. I'm just so exhausted," she finished with a yawn.

"Don't worry about it, just get some sleep. We can talk in the morning."

"Alright. Thanks Ollie, you're too good to me," she muttered as sleep claimed her once again.

Oliver shook his head and left his sleeping wife to rest. He made his way back out to the kitchen area and picked up his lukewarm dinner.

"Oh well," he thought to himself. He ate about half of his shrimp lo mein before deciding that he might as well go out patrolling tonight. It was a Friday night and Metropolis was bound to be teeming with wayward youth out for a thrill or your average everyday criminals on the prowl for new loot.

Donning his Green Arrow suit he checked on the sleeping Chloe once more before exiting their penthouse via the window, grapple gun in hand. Using the front door was completely out of the question and since he was a little short on the super flying powers, he had to make do with what he had, but who was complaining?

It turned out to be a pretty slow night, one that found Oliver meandering the roofs of Metropolis in a bit of a daze, his thoughts more on the past few months than the citizens prowling the streets on this clear Friday night. Chloe really had been a Godsend to him. Not just for the fact that marrying her had lifted a huge burden from his shoulders in that the press had finally laid off him about marriage and the next Queen heir, but she had become his best friend. She understood him in ways no one else could. They had both been through hell and lived to tell about it. Chloe had saved his butt so many times before that he had lost count; she had even saved him from himself a time or two. You couldn't ask for better than that.

So why then did something feel… _off?_ Something wasn't right. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something missing, something had changed over the last few months and he had no idea what it was or how to fix it. Suddenly there was a slight tension in the air when they were alone. It had started before their fateful night together, of that he was sure, and that night hadn't helped any. It had only made it worse, but he didn't think that that was the reason for the tension, just that it fueled whatever the problem was. Now he was officially thinking himself into circles.

Oliver heaved a sigh.

"Problem, Green Boy?" a voice asked from behind.

He spun around, bow at the ready before recognizing who was standing before him.

"Dinah, haven't you learned not to sneak up on people? Especially people who are packing heavy artillery?" he asked with a smile.

"Aw, Ollie, you wouldn't have shot me. And even if you did, I'd just smash your little arrow to pieces."

"Little? You wound me."

Dinah rolled her eyes.

"Oliver Queen, I take it back, nothing about you could be called little, least of all your ego."

Oliver laughed out loud.

"When did you get back?"

"A few hours ago. I was going to call-in in the morning. I figured you and your charming _wife_ would be asleep by now. I didn't realize it was your night for patrol. I was just out, doing a sweep before I called it a night," she explained.

"It's not really my night, I just thought I'd check things out," he told her with a shrug.

"Well, get on back home, Ollie. I can handle it tonight. I'll stop by and see Chloe in the morning, drop of my latest intel," she told him, turning away to face the street again.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, no problem. Even the Emerald Archer needs to sleep," she winked at him.

"See ya tomorrow, Canary," he quipped before she vaulted over the side of the building, sailing out of sight.

Oliver shook his head and made his way back to the penthouse. He didn't know if sleep would come tonight, but he supposed he should at least try.

Once he was showered and lying in his bed next to Chloe, he realized just how tired he really was. He rolled onto his side to face the sleeping woman next to him. She really was beautiful when she was asleep. She looked so peaceful. Oliver reached out and placed his arm around her, pulling her flush against him. He breathed in the lightly floral scent of her hair. They had woken up in this position many times before, yet they never said a word about it. So many things happened, and many of them by habit now, that they just ignored, pretended didn't exist. He had a feeling that was not the healthiest thing for their friendship, but it was probably the easiest. They were comfortable with how they were now, why change the status quo?

Oliver drifted off to sleep with thoughts of Chloe in his head.

~*~*~*

Part Three

Chloe sat at her favorite coffee shop sipping on peppermint tea for her stomach. It was time for her to admit it; she was a first class coward. She had dressed and snuck out before Oliver had even woken up this morning. She knew she would have to face her husband and tell him everything eventually, but when she had awoken to find his arms around her, she just couldn't face him. Things had actually been moving forward for them. They were happy and now she was going to ruin it. The last thing in the world Oliver would want was a baby. He always cringed whenever they were out and a baby would start crying or a toddler would run past with a harried mother chasing after it. He didn't have to say anything, not when his facial expressions spoke volumes.

She took another sip of her tea when a voice broke through her musings.

"Hey, Chlo! Missed you last night," Lois's bubbly voice carried through the quiet coffee shop.

"Morning, Lois. Yeah, I'm really sorry about that."

"Feeling any better?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"Not really. What are you smirking about?"

"Oh, come on, Chloe, just fess up. You're pregnant, aren't you?" Lois asked with a gleam in her eye.

Chloe spluttered.

"Where in the world would you get an idea like that?"

"Oh, come on. First, you are deathly pale, second, you have barely eaten the last few times we've met for lunch, third, it's seven in the morning and you are drinking _tea_ not coffee. _Tea, _Chloe. If that doesn't scream problem, I don't know what does," Lois told her matter-of-factly.

Chloe couldn't help but stare at her cousin.

"Lois, for the _Planet's_ star reporter, you're a little off your game."

"Don't even, Chlo, not with me."

She opened her mouth to argue, but felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh, God, Lois, what am I going to do?" she sobbed.

Lois looked shocked. That was far from the reaction she was expecting.

"Chloe, what's wrong?"

"Oh, God… Oliver's going to kill me," Chloe sobbed into her hands.

"Alright, we're getting out of here, come on, up we go," the older woman gently pulled her cousin up and led her out of the shop to the stares of the many customers eavesdropping on the duo.

Lois led her to a near-by park and sat her down on a bench nestled under a large oak tree.

"Now, what is going on? What do you mean, 'Oliver's going to kill me'? Wait, you haven't told him yet?"

"No, I haven't told him! Do I look like I want to die anytime soon?" Chloe snapped in a shaky voice, tears staining her face.

"Why would he kill you? Oh… Oh, God… Chloe," Lois spoke hesitantly, unsure if she really wanted to know the answer, "is the baby… _not his?_"

Chloe looked at Lois as if she had lost her mind, then realized what this must look and sound like to her.

"No, Lois, the baby is his. I just know Oliver, and I know the last thing he wants right now is to be a father," she explained, wiping her eyes and blowing her nose.

"Chloe, you don't honestly believe that, do you? Oliver is going to be a great dad. Even if he isn't ready, he'll get ready. It takes two to tango, Chlo. He's as much to blame for this as you are, he's hardly going to kill you over it."

Chloe laughed. If only Lois knew. Oliver had wanted a wife, not a family. No, he was definitely going to kill her.

"Maybe you're right. Just, keep it between us until I figure out how to tell him, okay?"

"Sure, no problem, cuz," Lois replied, giving the trembling blonde a hug.

**A/N: Again, it's a little on the short side, but I have three kids age 3 and under so I write when and what I can, sometimes is rather short, sometimes I can get more out. I figured I would just post shorter amounts more often then longer amounts only every couple of weeks or so. Let me know! I love hearing reviews! And I am glad that some people think I am staying true to the show because I wasn't 100% sure if I was. This is new territory for me and while I LOVE Smallville, I'm not a superwhiz when it comes to the show like I am for Harry Potter or Star Trek or my other obsessions, so if I goof, I am very sorry, just let me know!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Part Four**

Lois walked Chloe back to her penthouse. The two walked in to find Oliver and a raven-haired woman sitting at the bar, eating omelets and laughing.

"Umm… are we interrupting?" Lois asked snidely.

"Lois! Long time no see," the dark-haired woman spoke up with a smile.

Lois squinted her eyes, trying to place the familiar face.

"Dinah Lance, the Voice of Justice. Didn't know you were back in Metropolis," Lois spoke up, finally recognizing the other woman.

"I haven't been called that in a while. I was just passing through and thought I would stop by. I haven't seen Chloe in a few months," with that she turned her attention to the quiet blonde standing beside Lois. "How are you? It's been forever," she said, walking over to hug the shorter woman.

"I'm doing fine. It's great to see you. I promise, we'll catch up later but right now I could really use a shower," she told Dinah, trying to sound as peppy as possibly and hoping neither Oliver nor the woman standing in front of her could tell she had been crying.

"Sure, no problem. I'll just finish up breakfast. I'm feeling extra daring this morning, I'm actually eating something Oliver cooked!" she told Chloe, a smile dancing on her lips.

Chloe smiled then bolted for the bathroom when the smell of cooking eggs assaulted her senses.

As she was emptying the meager contents of her stomach, she heard the door open then close behind her. She felt a cold rag being laid on the back of her neck and noticed Oliver stood beside her, rubbing her back and making shushing sounds.

"Hey, you're really not feeling well, are you?" he asked quietly, handing her another rag for her face as she flushed the toilet.

"How'd you guess?" she asked, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Why don't I take you over to Emil? Let him look you over. You might have the flu or something."

" 'The flu or something'? Is that your professional opinion?"

"Ha ha, very funny. Seriously, let me take you to the doctor."

Chloe felt panic at the thought of going to a doctor with Oliver in tow. No, no way was she ready for that.

"No, Oliver, really I'll be fine. Just give it time to work its way out. Most of these things are twenty-four hour bugs anyway."

Oliver looked skeptical but gave in. He always gave in where she was concerned.

"Alright. We were supposed to meet the whole gang tonight for dinner. Are you still feeling up to it?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure I'll feel fine. I think I just need some Tylenol and something in my stomach," she told him, praying that he would let it go and she could buy herself a few more minutes.

"Alright, I'm going to get back out there and make sure Dinah and Lois aren't at each others throats. Was it just me or could you feel the tension in the room?"

"It wasn't you, it's Lois. She's very protective of me," Chloe told him with a smile.

Oliver laughed.

"Please, like you would have anything to worry about."

Chloe's stomach did flips at his words. She noticed her stomach acted very weird lately when he was around but now was not the time to examine that. Now was the time to figure out how and what she was going to do.

"Alright, go on out there. Did Dinah bring the information she was supposed to pick up from Thailand?"

"Of course, did you expect any less from her?" Ollie answered with a smile.

"I'll look into it after Lois leaves then. Just let me get cleaned up, I think I seriously need a shower now," she told him, wrinkling her nose at herself.

"No problem, do you want me to fix you something to eat for when you get out?"

Chloe blanched at the thought of eating the eggs and bacon he had been cooking moments before.

"Maybe just some toast. I don't want to push it this morning."

"Alright. Anything else Your Highness?"

Chloe laughed.

"No, I'm good. Thanks Oliver."

"You don't have to keep thanking me for things that a husband would normally do."

Chloe sobered up at that.

"I know, but… you're not a _real_ husband, so I feel like I should thank you."

Oliver bristled at that.

"Hey, I don't know about you, but the last time I checked, our marriage license was very much real."

Chloe rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean."

Oliver's jaw clenched.

"Yeah, I do. Alright, get cleaned up, I'm going to go check on our guests and make sure that our place is still in one piece."

With that he made his way out of the bathroom leaving Chloe alone on the floor, as confused as ever.

Oliver walked back into the main area of the penthouse to a cold standoff between the two women sitting at the bar.

"Uh, sorry, am I interrupting?" he asked nonchalantly.

"No, not at all. Is Chloe okay?" Dinah asked, turning from her staring contest with Lois.

"Yeah, she's fine. Has some kind of a bug, no big deal."

Lois just scoffed.

"Men," she muttered.

"What was that?" Oliver asked.

"Nothing."

"So, is she still up to dinner?" Dinah asked.

"You're coming tonight?" Lois asked, giving the other woman a cold glare.

"Yeah, a bunch of friends are all in town and we invited all of them, Dinah included," Oliver answered her.

"A.C. is looking forward to seeing you again Lois," Dinah told the taller woman with a smirk.

"A.C.?" Oliver asked. "I didn't know he was back in town."

"Yeah, he made it in yesterday. Said he talked to Chloe. She didn't tell you?" Dinah asked.

"Uh, no, must have slipped her mind," Oliver said sounding unsure.

Dinah smirked at Oliver. Lois just glared at the other woman, liking her less and less with every word that came out of her mouth.

"Don't you have somewhere to be? A job, maybe?" the dark-haired woman asked Lois.

"You know what, I think I'll just stay here until Chloe comes back out. I would hate to run off without saying good bye."

"Lois, I'm sure she would understand. You really don't have to stay around. I don't want you to be late for work."

"No, really, I think I would rather wait."

Oliver raised his eyebrows as the two women bantered back and forth.

"Ladies, please, we are all friends here, remember," Oliver told the two bickering girls.

"Friends, right," Lois responded.

"So, omelet anyone?"

*~*~*~*

Chloe relished the hot water as it pounded against her back. A nice hot shower always helped to clear her mind and if she ever needed a clear head, it was now. She had to tell Oliver tonight. She couldn't stand keeping something like this from him; he had a right to know. After dinner, once they were safely back at the penthouse, she would tell him about the baby.

She shut off the water and stepped out of the shower stall, wrapping her fluffy robe around her. She toweled off her hair before taking out her hairdryer. It didn't take her long to dry her short blonde locks.

Once her hair was dry she made her way into her bedroom and quickly put on the clothes she had picked out the day before. She went for comfort more than style, a simple pair of jeans and a red long-sleeved shirt. She traipsed back out into the main area of the penthouse to find a tense atmosphere.

Oliver stood at the counter, buttering a piece of toast while Dinah and Lois were in the middle of a rather heated staring contest.

"Hey guys," she greeted.

Oliver looked up and smiled.

"Hey, you. You look like you feel better."

"I do, loads. Lois, aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"I'm heading there now, cuz. Just wanted to say good-bye before I was off."

"Liar," Dinah smirked. "She doesn't trust me," she staged whispered to Chloe.

Chloe just laughed.

"Well, thanks for watching out for me… I think. I'll see you tonight, Lois. Now, go! Before you get in some serious trouble, or before Clark comes flying in here all panicky because he can't find his better half."

"She's full of it. Seriously, I just wanted to say goodbye," Lois muttered as Chloe walked her to the door.

As she was walking her cousin over to the lift, the call button sounded. Chloe glanced at the screen and broke into a smile when she spotted the tanned, blonde man standing at the bottom of the tower.

"Hey, A.C., come on up!" she greeted cheerily.

Lois and Chloe waited for the lift to make its way up where it deposited six foot four inches of tan, blonde, smiling stud.

"Chloe, hey! Lois! Long time no see," he greeted the girls with a hug each.

"I hate to 'hi and bye' but I am seriously running late, so, I will save the catching up for tonight. Be good," she hugged her cousin one last time, patted A.C. on the arm and closed the lift door, leaving with one final wave to everyone.

"Hey, boss, how's it goin'?" A.C. asked, turning to face Oliver.

"Pretty good. Didn't know you'd made it back in town," he answered nonchalantly.

The younger man looked surprised for a minute before turning to face Chloe.

"I called Tower here yesterday to let her know I was in, didn't she tell you?"

Chloe glanced at Oliver with a sheepish look in her eyes.

"Sorry, slipped my mind," she said by way of explanation then turned back to A.C., " I haven't felt all that hot the last couple days. Sorry."

"No problem here, Tower," A.C. answered with his trademark smile before wandering over to sit next to Dinah.

"Hey, gorgeous," he greeted the older woman.

"Do you flirt with anything that has boobs?" she asked the tan surfer.

"Wow, you pegged him in one go," Oliver replied, giving the other man playful smile.

"Hmm… family dinners at the Queen residence will never be boring," A.C. said while rolling his eyes at his friends teasing.

"Whoa, who said anything about family? You guys are most definitely _not_ family. I'm barely claiming you as friends," Oliver told the two with fake disgust in his voice.

Dinah reached over and slapped Oliver upside the head.

"Hey, Green Bean, watch it. You're stuck with us, remember?"

"How could I forget," he mumbled, glancing over at Chloe with a smile on his face.

Chloe couldn't help but smile back. It was good to see Oliver happy and content. There was so much darkness in his life and he was constantly fighting to keep it at bay that days like these, where he could just be a… well, a _boy_, those days were precious to her.

**A/N: wow, I am on a roll. I've been able to write a lot more than I thought I would be. Maybe I can finish this by next week. Woohoo! I've decided to just write short bits and post it when I can instead of waiting until I have 3-4k words. This way you get multiple chapters close together… trust me, this works better. Lol!! Thanks for everyone who has reviewed! I really try to get to replies, but I don't have a whole lot of time, so if you have a specific question, go ahead and ask and I will try my best to answer. You guys are the best! P.S: anyone have any hope that Ollie might be in Conspiracy?? Hmm… thought not… oh well…**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: OMG!! I just checked Justin Hartley's screen credits and it shows that Ollie will be in Conspiracy. And it doesn't say "Credit Only" like it does for Persuasion, so I can only assume (HOPE!!!!) that we will actually see him… maybe???? Wishful thinking?????????????**

**Part Five**

Oliver walked into the Kent house, arms loaded with groceries. Whenever you put Clark and Bart in the same room, you had to have more food than an army could eat to keep them happy, and Ollie had come packing.

He smiled at the sight that greeted him. Clark and Chloe were flitting around the kitchen, placing things in the oven, taking things out, pulling out plates and flatware, looking truly at home in there. Chloe glanced over and gave him an award-winning smile that truly lit up the room. He couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey, guys," he greeted, making his way over to the center island to unload the goodies he had come bearing.

"Hey yourself," his wife answered, her eyes never leaving his, even as she swatted A.C.'s hand away from the mashed potatoes he was trying to steal. Chloe was looking a hundred times better than she had the last few days. The color had returned to her cheeks and her eyes were not as dull looking. She still looked like she hadn't had a proper nights sleep in forever, but it was definitely an improvement.

"Dude, she's got eyes in the back of her head," A.C. whined.

"She'd have to have them to put up with you guys," Dinah quipped, earning her a pout from the surfer.

Oliver smiled at his friends… no, his _family_. That's truly what they had become. Courtney and Carter had been right; this was what his team truly needed. The stronger their bonds, the stronger the team had become.

"What are you cooking?" he asked the duo.

"Nothing, Mrs. Kent did the cooking tonight, we're just warming it up… well, I did make mashed potatoes, but… that's not that hard," Chloe replied.

"Speak for yourself," Lois mumbled under her breath.

"Yes, well, we aren't all blessed with your culinary talents, Lois," Clark quipped with a smile.

"Shove it, Smallville."

Oliver just laughed. He meandered over to the stacked plates and asked if he could help.

"Of course, we can always use help. This lot over here's more or less useless," Chloe told him. He smiled and picked up the plates, carrying them over to the table. He carefully laid each plate in its place, arranging the flatware next to it before returning to the kitchen to help carry the food out to the table as well.

"Hey, I resent that remark," Victor told her while coming over to grab the potatoes she had just finished mixing.

"Okay, most of them are useless," she amended with a smile.

"Table's all set," Oliver announced while Clark and Chloe brought the rest of the food over along with pitchers of tea and water.

"Hey, guys! Dinner's ready," Clark called out to the rest of the group. One by one, they made their way over to the dining table, quickly taking their seats, Bart finding the one smack dab in the center of the table where he could reach every dish easily.

"Dig in."

~*~*~*

Chloe loved dinners with the entire League around. It really made it feel like she belonged somewhere, that she was a part of something bigger. The last few years she had begun to doubt if it was all worth it. The sacrifices she had made were starting to wear her thin, but that had all changed when they had met the JSA. They had learned an important lesson from Carter and they were trying their hardest to live up the his standards.

Marrying Oliver had also been a blessing. She hadn't really realized how much good it would do her to get out of Watchtower every once in a while until he had dragged her out. He had truly lived up to his role, saving the damsel the way he had. Or maybe it was just pay back for dragging his sorry ass out of the gutter after Doomsday, either way, she owed Oliver Queen so much, and this was how she was going to repay him, by dropping the bombshell from hell on him.

She glanced over to her side and watched him for a minute. He was laughing at something Lois had said, his face so happy and carefree for a moment. It didn't look like the weight of the world was on his shoulders, right now he just looked like a normal guy, enjoying a normal dinner with his normal friends. Too bad nothing in their lives was actually "normal".

"So, Clark, I read yesterday's front page of the _Planet_, pretty impressive. Nice by-line by the way," Oliver said with a nod of acknowledgement toward the dark-haired man across from him.

"Thanks, but really, I couldn't have done it without Lois. She really is the better half of this partnership."

"Wow, handsome _and_ modest. Where were you when they were handing out the modesty, Ollie?" Dinah asked, the last barb aimed at Oliver causing the whole table to laugh.

"Yeah, funny. I, uh, must have been absent that day."

Chloe rolled her eyes. They were like little kids when they all got together, it was refreshing.

"Clark, man, you have to tell Mrs. K that this pot pie is the bomb!" A.C. spoke up from the end of the table.

"I'm sure she'll appreciate the compliment."

"Yeah, Clark, that's something I miss, your mom's cooking," Bart agreed.

"You know, it's probably a good thing you have your mom's cooking to fall back on, we all know what a whiz Lois is in the kitchen," Oliver teased.

"Ha ha, you really think you're something, Mr. Queen, don't you?" Lois snipped at him.

"No, Lois, I _know_ I'm something."

"Yep, missed that day for sure," Chloe spoke up.

Oliver turned towards her, a smile gracing his lips.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be on _my_ side?"

"Not when you're being egotistical. You're on your own there, bud."

Everyone at the table broke into a chorus of laughter.

"Dude, you met your match there," A.C. told him, slapping him on the back.

"Why, thank you, A.C. I'll take that as a compliment," Chloe said, giving the other man a smile.

Oliver just shook his head. What a family indeed.

~*~*~*~

Part Six

The entire group crashed in the living room after dinner, mingling and talking about everything and nothing. They were just enjoying a night off from the danger and stress that accompanied their normal lives.

Oliver went out to his car and returned with two bottles in tow.

"Hey, guys," he called out, getting everyone's attention, "brought a surprise," he announced, holding up the bottles. "Oxford's Reserve, thirty year bourbon, courtesy of the Queen Family Collection."

"Sweet! That stuff has to cost a fortune," Bart said with awe.

"None for you, mister, you're not legal yet," Chloe said, earning her a glare from the younger man.

"Almost legal," he muttered.

"Oxford messed up and forgot about a few barrels of bourbon, leaving them very little that hadn't evaporated. They only got a handful of bottles from it and my parents, for whatever reason, bought all of them."

"Awesome, pass it around," A.C. smirked, eyeing the bourbon.

Oliver poured each person two fingers full of the amber liquid and passed around the glasses.

He noticed Chloe hesitate for a minute before taking the glass from him. Once everyone held a glass of bourbon, he raised his own.

"To friends," he said, meeting each person's eyes.

"To friends," they all replied.

Oliver started to raise his glass to his lips but before he could take a sip, Lois voice rang out.

"No, you don't, missy! Not in your condition, are you crazy???"

Oliver turned with a confused expression on his face to find Lois glaring at a blushing and panic-stricken Chloe.

"Lois, what are you talking about? Condition, what?" he asked, completely confused.

He watched Lois go pale and turn scared eyes to him.

"Oh, shit… you don't know yet?" she asked before turning back to a glaring Chloe. "Oops. Oh, me and my big mouth. Sorry, cuz," she said sheepishly. "Oh well, since I just ruined the big surprise, let me be the first to say congratulations." With that she turned to face him. "Ollie, you're going to be a dad!" she squealed, throwing her arms around him in a hug.

Oliver just stood there, frozen. He looked at Chloe, hoping to find confusion in her eyes as well, but instead he found guilt and sadness. Unshed tears were pooling in her eyes and he knew. Lois wasn't imagining things, Chloe was really pregnant.

"Ollie, aren't you excited?" Lois asked, pulling back from him.

"I… uh… I…" he stuttered, unsure what to say.

"Lois, honestly, can't you keep your mouth shut?" Clark asked, a little more bite behind his words than he meant. "Come on, let's get out of here," he told her, dragging her out by the arm.

"But this is your house," she argued as he dragged her out the front door.

Oliver turned to the rest of the League, eyeing each one of them, looking for guilt in their eyes.

"So much for 'scandal free'," he muttered, his chest aching and his jaw clenched. "Okay, which one? Which one of you?!"

He turned back to Chloe, his breathing rapid and uneven.

"Who's the father, Chloe," he asked, his voice like ice. He turned an accusing gaze towards A.C.

"Dude, don't look at me."

Oliver opened his mouth to say something.

"You," he heard a quiet whisper, her voice heavy with tears.

He whipped around to stare at her.

"Okay, boys, that's our cue to leave," Dinah spoke up, herding the rest of the guys out of the room towards the front door.

"The baby's yours, Oliver."

**A/N: Hehe, I had to, sorry, but it's just the way I envisioned it.. I mean, even Lois has said "you know me, I can't keep a secret". And in Smallville, when does anything go as planned??**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: wow, didn't mean to upset people. I promise, Ollie will get his head out of his a**. Just give him some time; he's not perfect you know! Hehe. Thanks again for reading. I'm out for now, less than an hour to eat before Smallville! I may not get to update this weekend, but I promise if I don't then first then Monday. **

**Part Six**

Oliver was silent as the group left. He turned away from Chloe to gather his thoughts.

"Oliver, why would you think it would be anyone else's?"

"We… we found that wrapper, I thought we agreed we were… safe from that."

"Ollie, just because we found a condom wrapper does not necessarily mean we actually _used_ one. And even if we had used one, they aren't fool proof!"

"Okay, so, if it was mine… why didn't you tell me?" he asked, pain lacing his words.

"I… I didn't know how. I was afraid, I…"

"Afraid of what? What did you think I would do?" he asked, turning to face her, anger etched into every line of his face.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe act like this!" she bit out.

Oliver took a deep breath, turning away from her once again.

"Chloe, I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. I… I don't honestly think you would sleep with someone, but… you are always so adamant that we don't have a _real_ marriage that I thought… maybe… I don't know."

"Oliver, I… I wouldn't do that…"

"I know… I'm sorry. Why didn't you tell me the truth? Why go through all those excuses?" he asked, once again turning to face her.

"Because I honestly didn't know what to say. You married me to keep your butt safe, a baby and a family were not part of that deal. I… I was afraid you would… run out, leave."

Oliver clenched his jaw, his eyes traveling down to her stomach.

"How…" his voice cracked. "How long have you known?"

"I found out yesterday morning."

"How far along are you?"

"About six weeks."

Oliver sighed. He ran his hand through his short, blonde hair.

"I think I'm going to go out and patrol tonight. Do you want me to take you home first or do you want to drive yourself?"

"Oliver, it's not your night, it's A.C.'s."

"I know," he bit out, then replied in a calmer tone, "I know. I just need to clear my head."

Chloe sighed.

"Alright. Don't worry about me, I can drive my car back."

Oliver just nodded. He stopped beside her on his way to the door.

"Chloe, I'm sorry, I… I shouldn't have said anything, regardless of what I thought, in front of everyone."

"It's alright, Oliver."

Oliver wrapped her up in a quick hug before leaving the house.

Chloe just dropped to the couch and burst into tears.

_Well, that went over well,_ she thought to herself.

~*~*~*~*~

Green Arrow paced across the roofs of Metropolis, his mind on a certain blonde not on the streets below. One question swam around in his brain: why did he care so much if she had slept with someone else?

The answer should have been simple, but it scared the living daylights out of him. Somewhere along the lines, he had fallen, and fallen hard, for his spunky sidekick-turned-wife, and there was one thing Oliver knew for sure: when he fell, it never ended well.

Only they couldn't afford for it to end badly, they weren't the only ones who would get hurt in this anymore. They had a baby… _a baby_ to worry about. Dear God, what kind of parent was he going to be? He knew next to nothing about babies, or even kids for that matter!

"Shouldn't you be at home with your wife?"

Oliver spun around and found himself face to face with A.C.

"I really must be getting rusty. You're the second person in so many days to sneak up on me."

"Maybe you just shouldn't be patrolling when your head isn't in it," he replied, a bite to his words.

"Listen, I'm sorry, man. I shouldn't have ever even thought that you would…"

"Yeah, dude, you shouldn't have, but you did, and I think you hurt Tower pretty bad back there."

Oliver sighed, his shoulder's slumping in defeat.

"Tell me about it. The baby's not even here and already I'm screwing up."

A.C. shook his head.

"You aren't even giving yourself a chance. Go home, be with Chloe, and help her deal with this because I guarantee she isn't handling this any better than you."

Oliver offered his hand to A.C.

"Am I forgiven?"

"This time, boss, just don't make a habit of it," he answered in a lighter tone.

"Ten-four, Aquaman."

"Now get home."

Oliver turned away and swung off the roof, heading for his penthouse.

~*~*~*~*

Chloe sat on the couch until she heard a noise behind her. She turned to find Clark standing behind her.

"Where's Lois?" she asked, her voice heavy with tears.

"I took her back to the Talon. Chloe, are you okay?"

"No, Clark," she answered, bursting into tears again.

Clark was at her side before she could blink, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight.

"Why does everything get so screwed up in my life?"

"That's the joy of living in Smallville," he joked, happy when she broke into a watery smile. "I… I didn't know you and Oliver were…"

"We're not. It was just… just one night, one of those things."

"Oh, Chloe," Clark sighed into her hair.

"I know. How do I always manage to screw things up?"

"That's not what I was thinking. Are you heading back to Metropolis tonight or would you rather stay here?"

"Would you mind? I thought I could drive back, but now I really don't know if I have the strength to make the trip. I feel exhausted."

"Not a problem, but will Oliver worry about you?"

"No, he's out patrolling. I doubt he'll even come home tonight."

"If you're sure, then the spare bedroom is all yours."

"Thanks, Clark, you're the best."

Clark just smiled at his long time friend.

Chloe made her way up to the spare room and was asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

~*~*~*~

Chloe pulled up the door of the lift the next morning and entered the penthouse, expecting to find Oliver making his way around the kitchen. When she encountered a dark and silent room, she started to worry.

"Oliver?" she called, making her way into their bedroom to find it deserted as well. She noticed a folded note on her pillow. She walked over and picked it up. She read the words in Oliver's slanted script.

_Chloe,_

_I had to run out of town for a few days. I'll be in Star City if you absolutely need me. I'll see you when I get back. Take care._

_~Oliver_

Chloe stared at the short note. That was it? No explanation, no reason, just a quick note saying he was gone? She felt tears well up again. Tossing the note in the wastebasket by the bed she stormed out of their room.

"Coward!" she called out to the empty penthouse. _You are so going to pay, Queen,_ she thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part Seven**

Oliver stood in front of the closed, wooden door. He had not been in this room in close to fifteen years. Even now, with more purpose than he had ever had before, he found himself reluctant to go in.

He took a deep breath, his grip on the toolbox tightening, and then turned the door knob. The old door creaked open and he took a step, not into his past as he had always felt before, but into his future.

~*~*~*~

Chloe sat at her desk, warily eyeing the two men standing before her. Her eyes shifted to the laughing form lounging against the counter.

"Let me get this straight, you want to rescue _puppies?_" she asked with a hint of laughter in her voice.

"Come on, Chloelicious, these poor little things are being _tortured!_" Bart spoke up vehemently.

She turned her gaze to A.C.

"And you think this is a good idea?"

"Hey, you know me, animal rights and all…" he trailed off, shrugging in answer to her question.

"Guys, this is a sad story and all, but… we are supposed to be keeping the streets of Metropolis safe and last I checked we were one super hero short…"

"Yeah, Green Arrow my ass, should've been yellow, the big wuss," Dinah muttered from the kitchen.

"…so I don't think the best use of our time, or resources, is gallivanting around saving… _puppies,_" she finished, ignoring the other woman's remarks.

Bart gave her the saddest look she had ever seen. She just sighed before giving in.

"Alright, fine. You and A.C. can get in and out, right? No goofing around. Get in, get the dogs, and get out. Understand?"

"Ten-four, Tower," Bart answered excitedly. "Let's go, man."

"We'll be back before you know it," A.C. responded, sounding very sure of himself.

Chloe watched the two men exit the Watchtower before groaning and covering her face with her hands.

"Hey, cheer up, at least it gives you an hour or two of peace," Dinah spoke up, coming over to sit in a chair facing Chloe's desk. "So, have you thought of any names, yet?"

The other woman's question surprised her.

"Umm… not really. I haven't known that long."

"Oh. Well, just for the record, I've always liked the name Olivia for a girl."

"Olivia?" Chloe asked, wrinkling her nose, "Hmmm… Olivia Queen, I think I'll pass."

Both women burst into laughter.

"For a girl's name, I was kind of thinking maybe Moira and I've always liked the name Connor for a boy," Chloe's smile slowly faded. As much as she liked the woman sitting in front of her, this was not the person she always thought she would be picking out baby names with.

"He'll be back, tail tucked between his legs probably, but he'll be back," Dinah assured her, guessing the reason for the change in demeanor.

"I know," Chloe replied, forcing a smile back onto her face. Inside she wasn't quite as sure.

"I know it's none of my business, but I can't help wondering… when did… _this_ all change?" Dinah asked hesitantly.

"I'm not sure it ever did. Do you remember the last mission Victor went on? How horribly wrong it went? Well, Oliver came back completely broken up over it. You know how he can be, blaming himself for every little mistake that was made. Well, I took him back to the penthouse. We just started talking, but then he pulled out the Scotch. A lot of it is a haze after that, but I do remember him kissing me and trying to pull back, only I guess I had other ideas. The rest is a blur until we woke up, naked and hung over in our bed," she explained, blushing a little as she told the secret she had kept from everyone else.

"And you didn't use anything? I thought Oliver always carried 'insurance'," the other woman froze when she realized what she had just said. "Not that… that I would know first hand! I swear, we just… you know, we were talking a while ago… e-mails, just jokes…"

"I know, I read them," Chloe broke into Dinah's rambling explanation.

Her face, that had almost reached tomato red, turned deathly pale.

"Oh, God, Chloe, those were just jokes, I swear. Totally platonic, you know how Oliver is… we… we were just goofing off, flirting to pass the time…" she stumbled over her words.

Chloe couldn't keep a straight face any longer.

"It's fine, Dinah, really, I know you guys never… yeah, really, it's fine," she assured the panicking woman.

Canary just sighed.

"And, yes, I do know how Oliver is… which is why I'm starting to wonder if he's regretting ever saying 'I do'," Chloe said with far off expression.

"I seriously doubt Ollie regrets anything regarding you," Dinah said with a knowing expression.

Chloe looked confused.

"Oh, come on, he's so head over heals for you, the entire League has figured it out, we thought you would have by now."

Her confused look turned to shock.

"Oh, please, Dinah, now you're starting to sound like Bart," Chloe snarked.

"Whatever, just wait."

With that, Dinah whipped off her wig and headed for the bathroom.

"Canary's out patrolling tonight, I'll see you tomorrow. Take care and get some sleep."

"Sleep, sure, gotcha," Chloe mumbled in reply.

~*~*~*~*~

Chloe made it back to the penthouse shortly after midnight. She had patiently waited for the guys to get back and check in after their puppy saving mission. Returning to the dark, empty apartment was not high on her list of priorities anyway.

She flopped down on their unmade bed and pulled out her cell phone. Oliver had been gone for three days and all she had to show were three measly messages, all saying the same thing. She opened the latest one, the one that had come this morning.

_Chloe,_

_Hope you are okay, busy here, call if you need anything. ~O_

Yeah, she was really going to call the man who ran away from her. Not. She sighed before hauling herself up and heading for the bathroom. The large Jacuzzi was calling her name and if she ever needed a hot bath, it was now.

~*~*~*~*~

Oliver signed one final paper before handing the bundle to the man waiting patiently.

"Thank you for your business, Mr. Queen. We promise we'll get the items delivered post haste."

"I'm sure you will, Mr. Hathaway," Oliver replied with a smile. He watched the man get into the truck and pull away. Turning once more to glance up at the house he swore he would never call home, he pulled out his phone. Only one more task and he could head home… home, that had a totally different ring to it now…

He knew he and Chloe had a lot to talk about, and now he finally felt he was ready to have that discussion.

~*~*~*~*~

Chloe was just about to leave for the Watchtower when the call button rang. She glanced at the screen, wondering who would be calling this early. Lois was out of town and everyone else would be waiting for her at the Tower. She didn't recognize the man standing there, but she noticed the emblem on his jacket and the large boxes behind him.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Mrs. Queen? I have a package for you."

"Alright, bring it up," she replied, curious as to what it could be. As far as she knew, neither she nor Oliver were expecting anything, but then again, he had been M.I.A. for half a week so who knew what was going on.

The elevator rattled its way up and three men stepped out, lugging two large boxes with them.

"If you could just sign here, Mrs. Queen, we'll be on our way."

Chloe glanced at the work order and recognized Oliver's signature. So, he had had these… well, whatever they were, delivered. That explained one thing.

"Thank you, ma'am. Have a nice day," he told her with a smile then they were gone.

She walked around the larger of the two boxes before her curiosity got the better of her. Grabbing a pair of scissors, she sliced open the box and gasped at what she found.

Beautiful cherry wood peeked out from the packing paper and cushions. She carefully peeled everything away and stepped back. It easy to see what it was, now. It was a crib, or it would be one, once it was put together. She ran her hand over the elegant "Q" engraved on one end piece. Pulling it back, she saw the Queen family crest on the other end piece.

"Oh, Oliver," she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. She sniffed and quickly dried her eyes. She had to be at the Watchtower, but she would call him as soon as she was done.

~*~*~*~*~

Chloe, weary from the mission they had run that night, made her way into the penthouse. She gasped when she saw the last person she expected standing in the living area, staring out of the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city.

"Oliver! You're back."

Oliver slowly turned to look at her then glanced to the center of the room. Chloe followed his gaze and her breath caught when her eyes landed on the crib, completely assembled, standing there.

"Ollie, it's beautiful," she whispered, coming closer to him. She saw his jaw clench. Her heart stopped at his next words.

"This is never going to work."

**A/N: Sorry for the break, but things are a little busy here, but I should be back to at least once a day. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! Hope you enjoyed this part. And what can I say, but I TOLD YOU HE WOULD BE IN CONSPIRACY!! I'm good, yup! Although I still don't know exactly how I feel about the movie, except she did look really hurt at the "booty call" comment. Oh, well, can't wait for Escape.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Part Seven**

Chloe's heart stopped at Oliver's words.

"This is never going to work."

She opened her mouth to argue with him, to beg him to give it a chance, to not walk out on his child, on her, but before she could say anything he turned to face her and spoke again.

"I can't even get the damn thing through the door. Even if it would fit, have you seen our room? Let's be honest, this place was never meant to house a family. We need a bigger place. We could go look tomorrow if you're feeling up to it."

Chloe just stared at her husband, her mind slowly processing what he had just said.

"Does that mean you are going to stay?" she asked timidly.

Oliver looked over at her, surprise written all over his face.

"Of course I am going to stay. Did you think I was just going to walk out?"

"To be honest, I haven't known _what_ to think the last few days! Jeez, Oliver, what in the world did you expect me to think? You up and run off to Star City, without a word of explanation, then all I hear for three days, THREE DAYS, is 'busy, call if you need me' and you wonder why I would think you are running away?" she exclaimed, her words short and hard.

Oliver seemed surprised, as if he hadn't really realized the doubts his actions would cause.

"Chloe, I am so sorry. I didn't realize what it would seem like to you. I promise you, I have no intention of leaving you to deal with this alone.

"I know this was never in our plans, hell, it was never in my plans at any point in my life. I know next to nothing about kids or being a father, but it's here now and I am willing to do everything in my power to make it work. I'm sorry I ever made you believe otherwise."

Chloe felt tears gather in her eyes. A weight was lifted off her shoulders at his words. She had begun to see a future alone, one where she balanced working and raising a child all by herself, but that wasn't how it was going to be. He really was going to stay... she only wished he was staying for her as well as their child.

"Good. I'm glad we're on the same page, but I swear, you disappear like that on me again and there will be hell to pay," she told him, forcing a lightness into her words.

Oliver gave her a small smile.

"I'm sorry, Sidekick. Sometimes I just need to get away from the situation so that I can think. I promise, next time I need to think, I'll make sure I explain things better."

Chloe nodded.

"Well, it's a start," she told him with a smile to mask the unease she was feeling. Throughout his small speech there was one promise he didn't make.

**Part Eight**

Chloe looked out of the large windows at the Metropolis skyline. Oliver had promised her a lot of things. Call her cynical, but she wasn't sure she could believe them. What were promises of the future and forever without the promise of love?

That was the one thing he had not promised her, love. Yes, he had promised to help her through this and to be there for his son or daughter, but the promise she most yearned for, he had left out. It wasn't that she didn't think he cared, she could tell he cared, she just didn't know to what _extent_ he cared. Did he care like a friend would care? Or was it like a sister? Could he possibly care for her like a... _lover?_

Chloe sighed. There were too many questions running around in her mind. She was too preoccupied to hear Oliver come up behind her.

"I'm heading to bed. You coming?" he asked, gently rubbing her shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm coming, busy day tomorrow, right? I need my sleep," she replied with a small smile.

"You know, we don't have to go look at places tomorrow if you don't feel up to it."

"No, Oliver, really it's fine. You're right, we'll never fit here. There just isn't enough room."

"I just don't want to throw too many things at you at once."

"You're not, Ollie, I promise."

"If you're sure."

She just nodded. If you were to ask her when she had first realized she was in love with Oliver Queen, she probably wouldn't be able to give you an answer. She had always admired him, even when he was madly in love with her cousin. They had been friends for a long time, had worked side by side for years now, but she had no idea when those feelings changed. She didn't think she had just awoken one morning with these feelings. No, she was pretty sure they had grown and mutated from _friends_ to _something more_ and the worst thing was... she didn't think his had as well.

Sighing, she turned away from the window to follow her husband into their bedroom. He stopped for a minute and stared at the bed. His eyes slowly moved from the bed to her. He swallowed hard. She found his behavior odd, he almost seemed nervous.

For a minute she thought he would say something, but at the last second he turned away and went into the bathroom. He emerged a couple minutes later in a pair of silk green pajama bottoms and a white T-shirt.

Chloe took her turn changing in the bathroom before climbing into the large bed she had been forced to sleep alone in the last few nights.

"Goodnight, Sidekick," Oliver murmured while snuggling closer to her body.

"Goodnight, Ollie," she sighed before drifting off to the first decent sleep she had had in a week.

**A/N: I know it is short but I forgot my laptop this weekend so this entire thing was typed out on my palm treo using Microsoft Office Mobile. Mobile Word is pretty easy to use but the tiny keyboard SUCKS! Anyway, thanks for reading. I think there's only a couple more chapters. I have started another story that picks up after **_**Conspiracy**_** and has Chloe leaving Metropolis for a place called Gotham. Lol. I have wanted to write Bruce/Chloe/Oliver for awhile. What do you guys think?**


	8. Chapter 8

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER RATED M! IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ THIS GRAPHIC SEX SCENE FEEL FREE TO SKIP. PART TEN CAN BE READ WITHOUT NEEDING TO READ THIS, JUST AS LONG AS YOU KNOW THAT THEY DID HAVE SEX. LOL.  
****  
**

**Part Nine**

Chloe was slowly roused from her dream by the soft touch of a hand ghosting up her side. She could feel Oliver pressed against her back and something hard prodding her rear end. She moaned and pressed herself towards him.

"Easy there, Sidekick," he whispered in her ear.

"Oliver, what are you..."

He silenced her with a rough kiss. All thoughts of questioning him flew out the window at the first touch of his tongue against hers. She turned fully towards him and returned his kiss with vigor.

Oliver's left hand trailed up her thigh to her hip then trailed across her stomach and down, finally coming to rest between her legs. He gently stroked her through her panties.

Chloe moaned at his ministrations, her own hand flitting down his chest to brush against his straining bulge.

He thrust his hips against her hand, his lips finally leaving hers to trail kisses down her neck to the sensitive spot where her shoulder met her neck.

"Oliver..." Chloe tried once more to speak but was again cut off as his fingers slipped beneath her panties to stroke her wet center.

Growing impatient, Chloe ripped down his pants, freeing his swollen erection from its tight confines.

Oliver gasped as her warm hands grasped his burning flesh. She gently stroked him while his fingers gently entered her.

Chloe tried not to think about what they were doing. She felt _so___good right now and didn't want to ruin that by thinking about what a huge mistake this probably was. She was already falling hard for the man sharing her bed, what harm would it do to have a few good memories to last her through the dry years that were bound to come.

Oliver pulled his hand away and rolled so that his body was covering hers. He paused, holding himself over her and searched her eyes for permission.

She raised her hips, inviting him in and gasped as his long length slid home. As he moved gently in and out, Chloe realized what a horrible mistake this was. She would never be able to distance herself now. The one time they had been together before was a haze, with no concrete memories. This time would be very different. They would both definitely remember this encounter.

Oliver could see her disconnecting, pulling away.

"Chloe," he called to her, gaining her attention. He stared deep into her eyes, hoping to pour into her all the things he didn't know how to say.

His pace quickened as his climax neared. He reached between them to stroke her sensitive spot. He had to use every ounce of control to ride it out once he felt her clench around him.

Chloe was just coming down from her high when he could hold back no longer. One final thrust had him spilling his seed deep within her.

They lay together breathing heavily until Oliver found the strength to roll off of her onto his side.

She opened her mouth to say something but he just covered her lips with his finger.

"We have plenty of time to talk about this later, Sidekick," he told her, pulling her over to spoon against his body.

Chloe was so tired that she gave in without argument. Oliver was right, they had plenty of time to talk about this later.

**A/N: this part is short and was originally part of the last chapter but I decided to separate it so if someone didn't really want to read a graphic sex scene, they could just skip it. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Warning, fluff ahead! Lol. I don't usually do fluff, so I apologize if it feels a little… forced. It's just not really my thing, but I wanted this to end on a good note! There is an epilogue to follow, so watch for it, but mostly their story is done. I have been considering a sequel, because heaven knows all their problems are far from figured out… let me know what you think. **

**Part Ten**

Chloe woke to sunlight flitting in through the dark green curtains adorning the large windows of their bedroom. She gently turned over to observe Oliver's sleeping form. "Past the point of no return" had a totally different meaning to her now. There was no going back from the line they had crossed last night. There could be no denying how she felt now. She was irrevocably drowning in her feelings for the man next to her and she wasn't even sure when she had started slipping.

Maybe it was when he had held her while teaching her to shoot his bow, or maybe it was his silly text messages he always sent her. It might have been his carefree marriage proposal that had sent her into a fit of laughter. Though she had a feeling the deepest emotions were born on that night of anguish that neither could fully remember, when they had found solace in each other, fear and anxiety propelling them forward. It really didn't matter how or when, all that mattered was that she was fully and totally lost to her husband.

She gently shook his shoulder, rousing him from his sleep.

"Hmmm?" he mumbled, never opening his eyes.

"It's ten o'clock, Oliver. Time to get up."

"Nah, the world can wait," he said, a small smile gracing his perfect lips.

"They might can, but your baby can't. We're hungry," she announced, openly speaking of the baby she carried for the first time.

His eyes burst open at her words, wonder etched in his expression.

"Well, we can't have that, now can we. What would you like?"

"A bagel?" she asked, afraid her stomach couldn't handle anything else.

"Sure thing," he responded, dragging himself out of their warm bed. "Then we'll talk," he told her quietly.

She just nodded. She didn't know what she would say, but she had to say something and the truth would probably be the best thing.

~*~*~*~*~

Oliver ran down the street the to the small local bakery that he knew made the best bagels around and picked up an assortment of flavors, not knowing what would draw Chloe's attention this morning. He also grabbed a gallon of milk and a quart of orange juice. As an after thought he grabbed a two-liter of Sprite, just in case her morning sickness reared its ugly head.

He made it back to the penthouse rather quickly and was surprised to find Chloe already up and dressed.

"Feeling okay?" he asked, handing her the bag of bagels.

"Pretty good. A little queasy but I think it will go away once I have something in my stomach," she told him, fishing through the bag to select a blueberry bagel that looked particularly appetizing.

He poured some milk for himself and asked what she wanted.

"That Sprite actually looks pretty good."

"Sure thing."

When they both sat at the bar, drink and bagels in hand, he broached the subject he had been dreading. He knew how Chloe acted, and when she was uncomfortable or unsure about something, she tended to just pretend it didn't exist and he wanted to stop her before it got to that point.

"Chloe, about last night…" he started.

"If you are going to apologize or say something about forgetting it happened, then you can just pack your bags and hightail it to Star City," she told him, looking him square in the eyes.

Oliver was taken back by her vehement words.

"I wasn't going to say anything like that," he blurted out with surprise.

Chloe's eyes shone in confusion.

"Okay, then go ahead," she mumbled, embarrassed at her outburst.

"I was going to say, I'm sorry if you regret last night, but I don't. I don't know when or how, but somewhere along this twisted road, I've started to care. I know that wasn't in the deal and I'm sorry about that, sorry if you don't feel the same way, but I can't pretend I don't care," he spit out before he could lose his nerve.

Chloe just stared at him in wonder.

"Define care," she commanded.

"Care as in, I don't want this marriage to end. I want to be with you, really with you, I want our baby to have a family, a real family. I've screwed up a lot of things in my life and I don't want this to be one of them. Chloe, I… I lo-" he couldn't finish his sentence. Looking down, he swallowed hard then met her eyes again.

She just stared into his brown depth, begging him silently to finish that sentence. To be open and honest with her so she could tell him what was sitting on the tip of her tongue.

"Chloe, I love you," he whispered, his heart in his throat, knowing it was _that_ moment, the fight or flight moment, the one defining moment that would point them down their future path.

Chloe just leaned over and pressed her lips to his, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I love you, too, you big oaf," she told him, her voice scratchy from the tears she was holding back. "I have for the longest time I think, I just couldn't see it. I've never been good at seeing what was right in front of me."

"We've gone about this all wrong, haven't we?" he asked, smiling as he rested his forehead against hers.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Isn't it supposed to be, 'First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage'?" he asked.

Chloe couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, since when have we been 'by the book'?"

"True that," he told her, pulling her to him and kissing her gently.

"I love you, Chloe Queen," he murmured against her lips.

"I love you, too, Oliver Queen," she told him, snuggling against him. Their moment was ruined as her stomach gurgled. Chloe laughed.

"He's hungry," Oliver said, smirking at his wife. "You better feed that boy."

"And how do you know it's a boy?"

He shrugged.

"Father's intuition?"

"You're just afraid of what you'll do if it ends up a girl. Admit it," she told him.

"Alright, I'm terrified, therefore it has to be a boy."

Chloe just shook her head at her husband. Heaven help her but she loved that man.

Oliver held up her bagel, encouraging her to take a bite.

"Just keep wishing," she murmured, biting off a piece of the delicious blueberry treat hanging in front of her face.

"Oh I will," he promised with a smile.

~*~*~*~*~

Hours later the two lay in their bed, exhausted and sweaty, his arm gently resting across her still flat stomach.

"So, should we head out this afternoon to look at houses or would you rather wait until tomorrow?" she asked.

"Hmmm… how about sometime next week? I finally got you back in this bed, I'm not quite ready to get out," he told her, gently kissing her shoulder.

"Oliver, we just finished, surely you can't want to go again?" she asked, a laugh bubbling up in her throat.

"What can I say? You bring out the devil in me," he said with a smirk.

"Heaven help me then. I'm tired, Ollie, give a girl a break," she told him, turning on her side to face him. "We'll have plenty of time… all the time in the world."

"Promise?" he couldn't help but ask. He still felt a little unsure, almost as if she was going to fade away if he took his eyes off of her for a minute.

"I promise," she whispered sleep already claiming her.

"I love you," he told her yet again, never tiring of saying those words.

"Love you, too," she murmured as she faded away into slumber.

Oliver smiled. For the first time in a long time, he felt complete, fully and totally complete, and it was a nice feeling.

THE END

**A/N: well, whatcha think? Lol. Anyone else absolutely LOVE **_**Escape**_**? Can NOT wait for Friday… Oliver is going to flip when Chloe gets kidnapped!!! Hehe!! SQUEEEEEEEE!!!! Okay, back to reality. Sorry about the delay but RL was a bit hectic. I'm back now and working diligently on "A Slight Change of Scenery"!!**


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